Three Dates  Part 2
by LadyMoriarty
Summary: Jim and Molly's second date


It had been a couple of days since Molly had seen Jim. She hadn't gone up to IT to see him, and he hadn't come to the morgue to see her. That didn't really phase her; she had gotten very used to being treated that way. Sherlock acted that way on a regular basis.

That afternoon, she gave into her growling stomach and headed down to the cafeteria for lunch. While she was in line, she felt someone stroke her back. Before she could look to see who had touched her, a pair of hands clamped over her eyes.

"Guess who?" came a slightly menacing, playful voice.

"Don't hurt me," she whispered, scared of whatever was behind her.

"Molly, it's me," Jim laughed. "I wouldn't hurt you, babe."

She hugged him sheerly out of relief. "Jim! How are you?"

He put his arms around her. "I'm doing well. Did I frighten you?"

"A little bit. But it's okay. I totally forgive you."

"Good. That helps my chances of getting you to go out with me again. I was thinking we could go for a picnic in the country. A friend of mine has a bit of property and keeps horses. Does that sound fun?"

"It sounds wonderful. I haven't been horseback riding since I was a girl. You seem to have the best ideas for things to do."

He smiled at her. "I had a hunch you might go for it. How about I pick you up Saturday around noon?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Perfect. I can't wait."

He kissed her softly. "I'll see you, Miss Hooper."

She felt a boost in her spirits as she watched Jim get on the elevator. Since it was Thursday, she wouldn't have a terribly long wait for their second date. It would be more fun than their first date, and she began to wonder what surprises he'd have in store. Spontaneity seemed to be a big part of who Jim was. He made plans but didn't like sticking to them if there was something better to do. She liked the unpredictability that came with being close to him.

Jim found it extremely difficult to concentrate the rest of the day. He just could not stop thinking about Molly, no matter how hard he tried. It was strange for him to think of a woman even twice, let alone all day. Something about her was extraordinary. And even though he knew her better than she realized, he still couldn't figure out what made such a simple, timid woman so unforgettable.

Molly could only go through the motions the rest of the day. She couldn't think of anything but riding horses with Jim on Saturday. It had been too long since she'd done anything so fun, and she was looking forward to it. Being with Jim would have made it that much better. He had an uncanny ability to make everything perfect.

Saturday finally arrived, and Jim knocked on Molly's door promptly at noon. He had a big picnic basket filled with food and a bottle of good white wine to go with it. She opened the door and smiled brightly when she saw him. He looked at her in jeans and a flowy blouse and smiled in approval.

"Molly, you look wonderful. Shall we?"

"Of course! I've been looking forward to this since you asked."

He nodded and reached for her hand. "So have I. Are you ready to go?"

She smiled enthusiastically. "Absolutely!" she chirped. "Wait, I did make something for us. Hold on for just a second."

He stood on her doorstep and watched her flit into the house, wondering what she had made for the picnic. She came back with a plate piled high with brownies. "Did you make those?" he asked, more than a bit tempted.

"Yes, I did, actually. And from scratch," she replied, entirely pleased with herself.

"We better go, then, so I can taste one of them."

She laughed affectionately at him and followed him to his car, expecting the right red sports car. Instead he had driven up in a shiny black Volkswagen Beetle. She looked more than a bit stunned, but didn't say anything as he held the door open for her.

The drive to the country was surprisingly fun for them both. They never seemed to have a lull in conversation. His dark humor from their first date has transformed into something more lighthearted and fun. She liked it better this way. Jim still seemed to be such an enigma to her. Was he the darker man or the lovely, funny man sitting next to her. Or possibly both. She couldn't begin to figure him out, but she liked it either way. He had been so full of surprises since they met.

"Here we are!" he told her eagerly when they drove up to a lovely farm.

She looked around slowly as she got out of the car, taking in the acres and acres of vibrant green. The farm was so different from the concrete of London, a change she welcomed with open arms. "Jim, it's breathtaking."

"The surroundings suit you, babe," he laughed, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Ready?"

She nodded and grabbed her plate of brownies. "Yes! Lead the way."

He took her hand and led her to a quiet spot under a big tree. They laid out a blanket and sat down. It was everything a picnic should be. He poured them each some wine and cut up an apple. Molly leaned against the tree sipping her wine and watching a few horses off in the distance. The pastoral scene seemed to relax something in her brain that had been turning nonstop for the last few months. There was nothing around them for miles; it was nearly silent.

She didn't want to speak and spoil the silence. It was too calm and perfect to destroy, even with just a whisper. Not even the breeze would dare to blow and break it. The silence didn't bother her, but she wondered if Jim was uncomfortable. Out of consideration to her date, she wanted to speak. But he wasn't making the effort to talk, either. So she just smiled at him, her eyes lingering on his for a moment to let him know that nothing was awkward or amiss. He smiled back and nodded, as if he knew she wanted to preserve a moment of purity.

"I want one of your brownies," Jim finally remarked, after nearly half an hour of silence between them.

She took the plastic wrap off the plate and held it out to him. He eyed it carefully, hunting down the best one he could find. He settled on the brownie sitting on the very top of the pile and grinned like a schoolboy as he took the first bite. His mouth curved up into a grin as he savored the sweet. It was far better than he had expected it to be. Molly was a good cook. He nodded in approval, not bothering to speak as he took another bite. She laughed as she watched him, pleased to know he liked her baking.

"Ready to go ride horses?" he asked eagerly a few minutes later, standing up quickly and dusting himself off.

She stood up after him. "Absolutely. I may be kind of rusty; it's been ages since I've ridden a horse."

He smiled at her, his brown eyes a bit warmer than usual. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't get hurt."

They walked to the stables, taking in the scenery around the farm. Jim picked up a pebble and threw it out into the distance just to see how far he could throw it. It landed a few yards away. They both laughed at how bad he was.

Molly looked around the stables for a horse. She found a palomino mare and brought it out of its stable to get saddled up. Jim, appropriately, had a dark brown horse with a black mane and tale. Dark-looking. It suited him.

Once they had gotten the horses saddled and had mounted, they rode out towards a trail that had been laid out. It let around the perimeter of the farm and into the woods out in the distance. They decided that since it was a bright and sunny day, it would be okay to ride in the woods, at least for a bit. Those woods didn't look dangerous and not even a bit dark as the afternoon sun shone high in the sky.

The shadows around them seemed to dance as they rode by, their horses keeping in perfect step with each other as if they could sense Molly and Jim's desires to be close to each other. Jim reached out for her hand and pulled it to his lips, letting it linger there for a moment. His eyes remained glued to hers as the horses strode on the path. But she started blushing and darted her gaze away, making him laugh affectionately.

"Hey, Jim, I'll race you back to the stables," she called out, turning her horse around.

"You're on! Ready…GO!"

They both got their horses galloping down the trail. Molly leaned forward a bit, the way she remembered riding as a girl. It didn't take her long to get ahead of him. And she kept her lead all the way back to the stables. Jim rode in a few moments later, looking disheveled and a bit cross that she'd beaten him. But he looked at her laughing, and he wasn't mad. He started laughing with her and helped her off her horse. With his hands still resting on her waist, he brought her close to him and kissed her.

"Let's put the horses back and head home," he whispered, his lips still brushing up against hers.

She smiled. "Good idea. I smell like a horse."

"So do I," he laughed, leading his horse back to its stable.

She followed him with her horse, still smiling to herself. It had been far more fun than she'd had in ages. Jim was so easy to be around, and he seemed to enjoy her company just as much. And when he kissed her, she always seemed to feel light-headed. He was far more intense and passionate than she would have thought.

He didn't want their date to end, but he knew he'd been away from his business for too long already. But he planned on asking her for her cell phone number so they could text. She told him to keep the leftover brownies since he liked them so much.

Standing on her doorstep together, he put his hands on her hips, pulling her close to him. "I hate to leave, Molly."

"You don't have to. It's still early. We could go see a movie."

He kissed her forehead. "I've already been gone too long. There are things that need to be done. But I will text you when I can. And I will see you again very soon."

"Do you want to make plans now or another time?"

"Let me check my schedule, babe. I know I'll see you at the hospital. Maybe your computer might break again," he laughed.

"If it does, I know who I can call to fix it for me."

"Yes, you do. I'll text you soon, I promise. Now come give me a kiss before I start begging."

She laughed at his brazenness but kissed him anyway. He tightened his embrace on her and wouldn't let go. For that moment, he actually forgot about the work he had left undone. It didn't even matter to him. Only she did. And that terrified him. He forced himself to pull away.

"I'll talk to you soon, Molly."


End file.
